Nonskid device



y 19, 1942- D. s. KENNEDY 2,283,264

'NONSKID DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1941 I 2 Sheets-heet 1 May 19, 1942. N D2,283,264

NONSKID DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1.941 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19,1942 .NONSKID DEVICE Donald Stuart Kennedy, Longparish, Andover,

England Application January 25, 1941, Serial No. 376,002 In GreatBritain January 24, 1940 Claims.

This invention relates to overall chains or girdles for use upon thetires of road vehicle wheels. It relates more particularly to that kindof overall chain or girdle which is composed of a series of spaced-apartnon-skid shoes connected by lateral retaining chains or other linkingmeans.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of anon-skidshoe which is self-cleaning; which is effective on snow or ice-coveredsurfaces: which will not become clogged or caked with mud: which isrobust in construction and long Wearing: and which is adapted to openout fiat and therefore pack flat for transport when not in use.

The principal feature of the improved nonskid shoe of the presentinvention is that the tread member formed of rigid twisted metal ribbonwith flat tab-pieces at its ends, and having side flaps hingedlyconnected with the ends of said ribbon, is provided between each sideflap 1 and the flat tab piece, with a hinge connection which includes ashort inverted channel section member having its central web secured tosaid tab piece and its side walls apertured to form bearing supports forthe hinge pin of the side flap.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the annexeddrawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of the shoe,the fiat tab-piece being shown riveted to the under side of the web ofthe short channel section piece. Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of Fig. 1and Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of another form of the shoe, the flattab-pieces being made integral with the channel section pieces. Fig. 5is a plan view of the tread portion before it is finally shaped and Fig.6 is an end view of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of thebushings employed in this form of side flap, Fig. 8 being an elevationof said side flap and Fig. 9 a cross section of said flap, showing itshinged attachment to the channel section piece.

Fig. 10 is an end view showing another form of channel section piece.Figs. 11 and 12 are end views showing two forms of built-up channelsection pieces. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a stop piece to limitthe inwards movement of the side flaps.

In the arrangement of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the transverse tread portionconsists of a metal ribbon a rigid throughout its length and having aplurality of twists to form a helical member, and extremital flattab-pieces bb which are shown secured by rivets ccc to the under side(inner side) of the web d of the channel section piece or member. Theflanges or walls d of the channel section piece are apertured to providebearings for the hinge-pin e, the latter being shown in the 'form of abolt with nut e The web d is parallel to the axis of the hinge pin e andthe walls d d are preferably rounded off adjacent to the side flaps 1.

These side flaps ff are of the known kind and are secured upon saidhinge pin c with the narrowedportion f of the flap positioned betweenthe inner faces of the flanges d so as to be movable about the hinge pine. A portion of the pneumatic tire T is shown in chain lines in Fig. 1.These flat tab-piecesbb are aligned with one another in axialprolongation of the helical twisted member a and are shown projectingslightly beyond the channel section piece; they are parallel orsubstantially parallel with the axis of the hinge pin e.

The hinge connection between each side flap f and the twisted bar a isthus eifected by a short inverted channel section member having itscentral web 11 secured to the flat tab-piece b and its side-walls d dapertured to form bearing supports for the hinge pin 6.

The shoe is provided with means for limiting the inwards movement of theside flaps ff and in the form illustrated, I employ stop pieces hh forthat purpose. The stop piece It is shown con-' sisting of a fiat memberh with cranked ends or lugs h h apertured to fit the hinge pin 6, thisstop piece extending along the internal angle between the twistedelement a. and the flap 1. The edges of the member 71. can engageagainst the helical bar a and side flap f, and thus stop any inwardsmovement of the hinged side flap f.

The shoe is also shown provided with lateral retaining chains ii of theknown kind, the end links being secured in the loops F? of the hingedflaps ff.

This improved construction of overall shoe is more especiallyadvantageous when used on a wheel travelling upon snow or ice and it isequally good when the wheel has to pass over mud or soft ground. It isto a great extent self-cleaning in use and when not in use it opens outor packs flat for transport. The side flap f at the right hand of Fig. 1in chain lines indicates the packed fiat position.

It is to be noted that the tread portion is a twisted metal ribbon a andthat its fiat tabpieces bb at the end of the said twisted member areeach substantially parallel with the axis of the hinge pin e carried bythe short channel section piece.

As compared with the shoe described in my prior Patent No. 2,095,523, Inow employ a single twisted metal ribbon or element a, the ends of whichare not traversed by the hinge pins but are formed as tab-pieces bbsubstantially parallel to said pins and each secured to the web 11 ofthe channel-section piece which also provides in its flanges d d thebearings for the hinge pin. The single twisted member is self-cleaningand does not become packed or bridged by snow in wintry conditions.

The fiat tab-pieces bb upon the twisted metal element a, in conjunctionwith the channel section pieces to the middle portion or web d of whichthe tab pieces are secured, and the mounting of the hinge pins e in theflanges or side walls d of said channel-section member, provide a robustand effective construction capable of withstanding hard wear and wellsuited to the purposes in view.

The axis of the hinge pin 6 is preierably'in line with the inner edge ofeach spiral of the twisted member'and the flanges (1 d are rounded offat the end remote from the web (1, concentrically with the axis of thehinge pin 6.

The spirals of the twisted member are continued up to the channelsection piece and it is to be noted that when in use and the twistedribbon or member a is making contact with the ground, its respectiveends or tab-pieces are in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 protectedfrom the ground by the webs d of the channel section pieces and are thusnot directly exposed to the ground.

Instead of form-ing the channel section pieces separate from thetab-pieces, they may be made integral, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and6. The construction there illustrated shows the tread member a providedwith integral ends or tab pieces I) which include a flat, centralportion (1 and laterally extending portions d d these portionscorresponding generally in shape and function to the Web (1 and flangesd'd, respectively, of that form of the present invention shown in Figs.1 to 3 inclusive; it also shows a tread plate projection 9' as acontinuation of the flat, central portion d of the tab-piece b, saidprojection 7 having, if desired, lugs 7' When finally shaped from theform in Fig. 5 to that in Fig. 4, the flanges (Z 01 are bent down atright angles to the flat, central portion 01 of the tab-piece b and thetread plate projection is turned in the opposite direction to theflanges d d to extend partly over the flat, central portion (1 Thisprojection 7 is a thickening piece to reduce wear upon the side flap fand hinge pin 6 and it is preferably brought level at its top with thetop of the twists, as shown in Fig. i. The lugs 7' 11' when employedwould increase the width of the tread plate projection y, by extensionsfore and aft of the latter.

In this form of construction, the hinged side flap has a wider bearingupon the hinge pin e by reason of the provision of the outerpin-engaging loops or joints f f as well as the inner portion f andbushings kk mounted on the longer hinge pin e. The side flaps if, asclearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9, are recessed to allow the flanges orside walls d d of the channel section piece to enter and the longerbushing is obviously located between the flanges 11 0 of the channelsection piece.

To limit the inwards movement of the hinged flap f I employ in thisarrangement not a stop piece h but a shoulder f formed on the side flap1 adapted to engage the cam-like edge (1 of the downturned flange d seeFig. 1.

Instead of forming the channel section piece with a web d and two sideflanges d it may be crenated at the corners as shown in Fig. 10 toenable the flanges d d to be separated further and to permit the use ofa longer hinge pin e.

In the arrangements of Figs. 11 and 12, the channel section member dd dis strengthened or reinforced by an outer channel section member havinga web Z and sloping or cranked walls Z 1 the web I being juxtaposed onweb at and both being riveted together. The walls 1 afiord additionalbearings for the hinge pin e. There are no bushings employed in thesearrangements but a longer bearing for hinge pin 6 is provided.

The lugs or sides h h of the stop piece are shown outside the outerchannel section member 11 In Figs. l0, l1 and 12, an extra metal wearingpiece g is shown securedby the rivets cc to the web of the channelsection member.

Fig. 11 also shows a T-shaped member mm with its. head m below thetab-piece b and secured thereto by the rivets cc, the stem m extendinginto a recess or slot in the side flap and providing an additionalbearing for the hinge pin c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A non-skid shoe for an overall chain and of the kind comprising atransverse tread portion with side flaps and hinge pins connecting saidflaps to the ends of said tread portion, said flaps having limitedinwards movement, in which the said tread portion is formed as a metalbar having a plurality of twists in its length and flat tab pieces atits ends, said tab pieces being aligned with one another, invertedchannel section pieces to the middle members of which the said tabpieces are secured being apertured in their Walls to receive saidhinge-pins, and the middle member of each channel section piece beingparallel to the axis of the respective hinge pin.

2. A shoe for a non-skid device of the character described, comprising atread member formed of a straight metal ribbon having a plurality oftwists in its length, flat tab pieces at the ends of said ribbon,channel section members covering said tab pieces, the web of eachchannel section being riveted to the respective tab piece, detachableparallel hinge pins extending in parallel relation through the flangesof said channel section members, and side flaps hingedly mounted on saidhinge pins, said tab pieces being aligned with one another upon the axisof said twisted ribbon and substantially parallel with the axes of saidhinge pins.

3. A shoe for a non-skid device comprising a tread portion formed ofrigid twisted metal ribbon adapted to be'set across the tire tread andhaving extremital flat tab pieces, a channel section piece at each endof said twisted ribbon and formed integrally with said tab piece andribbon, hinge pins mounted in the side walls of said integral channelsection pieces, a side flap hingedly mounted on each of said hinge pins,and a tread plate projection also formed integrally with the web and tabpiece at each end of the twisted ribbon, said tread plate projectionbeing bent over said web and level at its outer edge with the outer edgeof the said twisted metal ribbon.

4. A non-skid shoe including a tread member formed of twisted metalribbon and having fiat tab pieces at the ends of said metal ribbon, sideflaps hingedly connected with said metal ribbon and means for limitingthe inwards movement of said side flap, the hinge connection betweeneach side flap and the flat tab piece being by means of an invertedinner channel-section member having its central web secured to said tabpiece and its side walls apertured to form bearing supports for thehinge pin oi the side flap, and an outer channel-section member havingits web secured to the web of the inner channel-section member, with theside walls of the outer channel-section member splayed outwardly andalso supporting the said hinge pin.

5. A shoe for a non-skid device comprising a tread'portion formed ofrigid twisted metal ribbon adapted to be set across the tire tread, achannel section member at each end of said twisted ribbon and consistingof a central portion and cranked, apertured ends, hinge pins mounted inthe apertured ends of said channel section members, side flaps mountedupon said hinge pins, and flap-limiting stop pieces mounted on saidhinge pins, each of said stop pieces consisting of a central portion andcranked ends apertured to fit the hinge pins, and the central portionsof said channel section members and said stop pieces extendingsubstantially parallel with the axes of said hinge pins.

DONALD STUART KENNEDY.

